Hydrangea plant named ‘HYLV02’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hydrangea  plant named ‘HYLV02’, characterized by its compact, upright to somewhat spreading and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate; freely branching habit with strong and sturdy stems; freely and uniformly flowering habit; compact and dense panicle-type inflorescences with numerous light green to white-colored sterile flowers that become light red purple in color with development; and good landscape performance.

Botanical designation: Hydrangea paniculata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HYLV02’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHydrangea plant, botanically known as Hydrangea paniculata, commerciallyreferred to as a paniculate-type Hydrangea and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘HYLV02’.

The new Hydrangea plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Velp and Reeuwijk, The Netherlands. Theobjective of the breeding program was to create new compact andfreely-branching Hydrangea plants with strong sturdy stems, largeinflorescences with numerous attractive sterile flowers and goodpostproduction longevity.

The new Hydrangea plant originated from an open-pollination made by theInventor during the summer of 2012 in Velp, The Netherlands, ofHydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with an unknown selection of Hydrangea paniculata as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Hydrangea plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of thestated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment inReeuwijk, The Netherlands in August, 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hydrangea plant by vegetative tipcuttings in a controlled environment in Reeuwijk, The Netherlands sinceAugust, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new Hydrangeaplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘HYLV02’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘HYLV02’ as a new and distinct Hydrangea plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to somewhat spreading and mounded plant        habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit and moderate        growth rate.    -   3. Freely branching habit with strong and sturdy stems.    -   4. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.    -   5. Compact and dense panicle-type inflorescences with numerous        light green to white-colored sterile flowers that become light        red purple in color with development.    -   6. Good landscape performance.

Plants of the new Hydrangea can be compared to plants of the femaleparent selection. Plants of the new Hydrangea differ primarily fromplants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea are more compact than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea have shorter lateral branches        than plants of the female parent selection.    -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Hydrangea are more        compact and denser than inflorescences of plants of the female        parent selection.

Plants of the new Hydrangea can be compared to plants of the Hydrangeapaniculata ‘Limelight’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,874. Inside-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Hydrangea differ primarilyfrom plants of ‘Limelight’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea are more compact than plants of        ‘Limelight’.    -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea are more freely branching than        plants of ‘Limelight’.    -   3. Plants of the new Hydrangea have shorter lateral branches        than plants of ‘Limelight’.    -   4. Plants of the new Hydrangea are more freely flowering than        plants of ‘Limelight’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the unique appearance ofthe new Hydrangea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newHydrangea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘HYLV02’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top left of the second sheet is a close-up view ofa typical developing inflorescence of ‘HYLV02’.

The photograph at the right top of the second sheet is a close-up viewof typical developed inflorescences of ‘HYLV02’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical leaves of ‘HYLV02’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and in the followingdescription were grown during the summer and early autumn in 21-cmcontainers in an outdoor nursery in Reeuwijk, The Netherlands and undercultural practices typical of commercial Hydrangea production. Duringthe production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 16° C.to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from about averaged 5° C. to 16°C. Plants of the new Hydrangea were two years old when the photographsand description were taken. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical description: Hydrangea paniculata ‘HYLV02’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Hydrangea            paniculata, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—By vegetative tip cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 16 days at            temperatures about 20° C. to 30° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About four            months at temperatures about 20° C. to 30° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness to thick, fibrous;            typically light brown in color, actual color of the roots is            dependent on substrate composition, water quality,            fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and            physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright to spreading and            rounded plant habit; overall plant shape, narrowly obovate;            strong and sturdy stems; moderately vigorous to vigorous            growth habit and moderate growth rate.        -   Plant height.—About 47.5 cm.        -   Plant diameter or area of spread.—About 42.9 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; when pinched, about            eleven lateral branches develop per plant.        -   Length.—About 30.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 3.5 cm.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous; fully developed, woody.        -   Aspect.—Upright to about 50° from vertical.        -   Strength.—Strong, sturdy.        -   Color, when developing.—Close to 174B.        -   Color, developed.—Close to between 152A and N199A; when            woody, close to 199B and 200D.        -   Lenticels.—Density: Sparse to medium. Size: About 1.5 mm by            0.75 mm. Color: Developing stems, close to N170D; developed            stems, close to 199D.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 7.7 cm.        -   Width.—About 4.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate to elliptic.        -   Apex.—Apiculate.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely to moderately            pubescent; slightly rugose.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to between            137B and 143A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to            138B. Fully developed leaves, upper surface: Close to            between NN137A and 147A; venation, close to 144A. Fully            developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 147A; venation,            close to 150D.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely            pubescent; matte. Color, upper surface: Close to 178B.            Color, lower surface: Close to 152D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Showy sterile flowers and small            inconspicuous fertile flowers arranged on panicle-type            terminal panicles; panicles conical in shape, compact and            dense; flowers face upright to outwardly depending on their            position in the inflorescence.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants            begin flowering about 70 days after planting; flowering            begins in the midsummer and is continuous until late summer            in The Netherlands.        -   Flower longevity.—Fertile flowers last about five days on            the plant, fertile flowers not persistent; sterile flowers            last about six weeks on the plant, sterile flowers            persistent.        -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about 75            fertile flowers per panicle and about 160 sterile flowers            per panicle.        -   Panicle height.—About 14.1 cm.        -   Panicle diameter.—About 12.8 cm.        -   Fertile flower buds.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About            3 mm. Shape: Obovate. Color: Close to 145C to 145D; towards            the apex, tinged with close to 65A; immature calyx, close to            148D.        -   Sterile flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About            8 mm. Shape: Cup-shaped. Color: Close to between 150D and            160D.        -   Fertile flower diameter.—About 7 mm.        -   Fertile flower depth (height).—About 6 mm.        -   Sterile flower diameter.—About 3.5 cm.        -   Sterile flower depth (height).—About 1 cm.        -   Petals, fertile flowers.—Quantity and arrangement: Four or            five in a single whorl. Length: About 3.5 mm. Width: About            2 mm. Shape: Ovate, concave. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate.            Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: When opening and            fully opened, upper surface: Close to NN155D. When opening            and fully opened, lower surface: Close to NN155D.        -   Petals, sterile flowers.—Quantity and arrangement: Four in a            single whorl. Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm.            Shape: Ovate, concave. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin:            Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: When opening, upper surface:            Close to NN155D; towards the apex, tinged with close to 65B.            When opening, lower surface: Close to NN155B; towards the            apex, tinged with close to 64D. Fully opened, upper surface:            Close to NN155D. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to            NN155B; towards the apex, slightly tinged with close to 64D.        -   Sepals, fertile flowers.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a            single whorl. Length: About 1 mm. Width: About 1.25 mm.            Shape: Roughly deltoid. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Broadly            cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: When opening,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 157A. Fully opened, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 157A.        -   Sepals, sterile flowers.—Quantity and arrangement: Four in a            single whorl. Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm.            Shape: Ovate to narrowly ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Cuneate.            Margin: Finely serrate. Texture and luster, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: When opening,            upper surface: Close to between 150D and 155A. When opening,            lower surface: Close to 155A. Fully opened, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to between 150D and 155A; color becoming            closer to 63C and 186D with development.        -   Pedicels, fertile flowers.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter:            About 0.75 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: About            20° from vertical. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent;            matte. Color: Close to 157B.        -   Pedicels, sterile flowers.—Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter:            About 0.8 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: About 55°            from branch axis. Texture and luster: Moderately pubescent;            matte. Color: Close to 157A.        -   Reproductive organs, fertile flowers.—Stamens: Quantity per            flower: About ten. Filament length: About 5 mm. Filament            color: Close to NN155D. Anther length: About 0.75 mm. Anther            shape: Oblong. Anther color: Close to 157A. Pollen amount:            Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 156A. Pistils: Pistil            quantity per flower: Three. Pistil length: About 1 mm.            Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 157D.            Style length: About 1 mm. Style color: Close to 157D. Ovary            color: Close to 145D.        -   Reproductive organs, sterile flowers.—Stamens: Quantity per            flower: About eight. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament            color: Close to NN155D. Anther length: About 0.75 mm. Anther            shape: Oblong. Anther color: Close to 157A. Pollen amount:            Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 156A. Pistils: To date,            pistil development has not been observed on sterile flowers            of plants of the new Hydrangea.        -   Seeds.—To date, seed production has not been observed on            plants of the new Hydrangea.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, under commercial production    conditions, plants of the new Hydrangea have not been observed to be    resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hydrangea plants.-   Landscape performance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have been    observed to tolerate wind and rain and to be suitable for USDA    Hardiness Zones 5 through 9.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hydrangea plant named ‘HYLV02’ asillustrated and described.